Germany Ruling Jerusalem - Some Ponderings of Alternative History
With so much violence in the Middle East (again), I can't help but wonder how things would have unfolded if the region had been under German administration. Interestingly, the idea is not too far off...
Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia Entering Jerusalem
This painting, displayed in the Old National Gallery in Berlin, depicts the crown prince of Prussia as he entered Jerusalem mounted on a white stallion in November 1869. It was painted by Wilhelm Gentz in 1876, and though it had been commissioned years after the event occurred (even the horse had been gifted to the crown prince years later), it is based on historical fact.
In 1869 Frederick William was sent to the Middle East on a diplomatic mission in order to represent Prussia at the opening of the Suez Canal. Taking advantage of the occasion, he extended his trip to Constantinople, where he managed to persuade the Sultan to grant Prussia a piece of territory in Jerusalem around the ruins of the medieval St. John's Hospice, along with the corresponding church.
Missed Chance of Colonization?
How come the Prussians were content with that admittedly modest sized piece of property? After all, the so called gunboat diplomacy was just starting to take off around that time, where industrialized European powers would simply show up with heavy machinery around the world, and declare everything in sight to be theirs. Give them a finger and they take the whole arm, right? So how come the Prussians didn't get the entire levant annexed?
The reason is, at that time they were involved in their own struggles in Europe, getting Germany forged in the fire of the wars of unification. A valid enough reason. But let's just imagine, the Suez Canal had been completed a few years later... Could things have taken some different turns in the region following that?
A Place in the Sun... for Germans, Jews, and Arabs
Okay, I really don't want to glorify colonialism here. It's really not nice (let alone sustainable) to take away what's not yours, or tell other people how to live their lives. However, when it comes to administration, being ruled by a far-away power does have an effect on stability. Just consider the Balkans under the Ottomans or the Austrians versus being independent nation-states. And in a way, even in countries with one homogeneous culture, the administrative center is seen with some disdain in most of the provinces. Just ask anyone in Marseille what they think about Paris, or anywhere in Wyoming how they feel about Washington DC! Even if the colony is not exploited as such, you won't get around the resentment.
So imagine the entire Middle East was administered from Berlin. German science and technology would benefit the region in exchange for its natural resources and agricultural products. The vast number of Jews all over the German Empire would have an opportunity to settle in what they consider the Holy Land, along with Christians of all denominations, if they so desire. Under the definitely secular German rule they would settle side by side with the Muslims living there, without either side taking up arms against the other. Having a colony so close to Europe, maybe the German Empire would not even have the same ambitions as it actually did before WWI. And with Jewish settlement openly encouraged in the levant, maybe the whole Holocaust could have been also prevented?
Endless Possibilities of the Past
Okay, I know, there is no point in rolling back history, guessing at what would have happened if things had gone differently. Still, I think it's an interesting thought experiment. As bizarre as it may seem at first to imagine Germany ruling over the Middle East, after a bit of contemplation one has to realize that it would be far from the stereotypical Nazi world domination, let alone from the currently exploding powder-keg, where various religious and ethnic groups are rallied up against each other in the interest of arms sales. So in this regard, all hail be to the Kaiser, may he reign in everlasting peace.